INSIDE SCOOP: What Makes UGA Football Linebacker Commit Special?
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs just landed an outstanding young man over the weekend in four-star linebacker, Kristopher Jones.
Not only is he one of the most versatile linebackers in the 2024 class, but this young man is going to make Georgia better the second he gets to campus.
At 6-foot-3 232-pounds, the Fairfax (VA) defender will bring plenty of length, size, speed, and natural athleticism to Athens. He’ll also bring a 5-star work ethic and a competitive drive each and every day.
We reached out to Jones’ trainer, the well-respected Kevin Johnson, to break down what makes Jones such a special prospect.
“His versatility, character, and his willingness to work”, Johnson told Dawg Post. “The guy is a workhorse. He’ll accept any responsibility that comes along with a challenge. He understands that as much is given, much is required. Being the son of a pastor, he undertands that faith without work is a dead measure. He believes he can be great. His faith is all rooted in God. He believes that God created him to play football as well as a platform that will bring people to Christ.”
Jones has everything you need between the ears. He has high expectations for himself, and he is going to do everything he can to be the very best football player he can be. That’s a big reason why he chose to play for Glenn Schumann, and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Of course, no prospect is perfect. While he does have an excellent frame and natural ability, Johnson said he’s still working with Jones on refining the skills they’ve been working on for the last several years.
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“He’s got a lot of length and enough versatility to play on the EDGE, the 7-teqnique, the Mike, whatever they want to call it over there at Georgia”, Johnson added. “I mean, the guy can cover receivers, too. He can do whatever they need him to do. I remember the first time I met him back in 7th or 8th grade when his dad brought him out to a training session of mine. I asked him to hold his arms out and they just kept going and going and going. It was crazy.”
“When he came to me, he had the length, but he didn’t possess the same sideline-to-sideline range as he does now”, Johnson added. “He didn’t have the ability to flip his hips. The flip backpedal with speed. That was stuff he practiced over and over and over, and now it’s a big reason why he’s one of the best in the country. He’s a willing student as well.”
“We’re at a point now where we’ve developed a lot of explosiveness and change of direction type of stuff”, Johnson continued. “Now it’s about refinement. We’re eliminating false steps. Whatever change of direction we need to make, we’re going to make it with the most efficient and fluid steps, allowing him to cut down on any false steps. We’re cutting off those tenths of a second that mean so much. This is a game of seconds and inches. He does have all the tools, though. The guys is 6-foot-3 232-pounds and runs a 4.59 laser-time in the 40-yard dash. I don’t do hand-held times with my guys. We do all laser times. I honestly believe Kris Jones is going to be one of the best to ever play this game. He believes it too.”
What does Glenn Schumann love about Jones’s game?
“Glenn Schumann values work ethic”, Johnson said. “He’s alluded to that in several conversations I’ve had with him. He told me what attracted him to Kris is his willingness to work. With that work ethic, he can help Kris become the best version of what Kris can become. We both agree that could be a scary version. We know what Georgia’s done with previous linebackers. We were very aware that they had a linebacker that didn’t even start get drafted in the 3rd round. We do our due diligence. Schumann’s track record speaks for itself.”
“I’ve trained Blake Corum (Michigan), Ahmad Brooks (49ers) Da'Shawn Hand (Alabama), Josh Ball (FSU, Dallas Cowboys), Matt Burrell (Ohio State), Kevin White (Arizona State). I know what I’m seeing when I see it, and I’ve never had someone with all the intangibles, the character, the work ethic, the seriousness, and the lack of distractions, like Kris Jones. The only thing I’ve ever seen him get excited about is food, football and God. He’s in love with the process of football. He was out training with me the day he got an offer from Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma. He loves it. He loves the process of working and getting better.”
How did Georgia win over Jones?
“Georgia wasn’t trying to sell us on anything. They weren’t talking about NIL or any type of pipe dream. They weren’t trying to lure us with anything than ‘hey, do you want to be the best? This is where the best play. This is where the best come to be developed. You can see the village and the network of NFL players that come through here’. I mean, they had three first-round draft picks back on campus during our visit in June. It was that type of stuff that blew us away.”
After that phone call with Johnson, I was “all in” on Kristopher Jones. He’s someone who can play both inside and outside linebacker, which is an important trait to have. He has the physical tools, but his drive and willingness to work really stands out.
Kris Jones gets it. He truly believes if he stays on this path that he can be one of the greats not only in Athens, but in the NFL as well. He’s a confident young man, but he’s not an “in your face” guy. He’s a quiet leader, and he’s going to do BIG things ‘Between the Hedges when the time comes.
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